I need a kick in the butt. I just started this current journey on 6/1/06, but we've had company, and there has been MUCH food--mostly because it was family, and all of our family functions seem to revolve around food. I'm still on track, kind of (not gaining), but I need like a "wake up and smell the coffee" sort of moment. The food's been wonderful, but last night I think I ate way too much (still feeling incredi-full this morning ). I think I need someoene to share encouragement with and to check-in with occassionally.
However, my biggest problem is that I live at home with my parents (I rent), and they don't really care how they eat or if they exercise at all. More than that, I do tend to like the healthier stuff (veggies, chicken and fish), but my parents--mostly my father--are stuck on tons and tons of red meat and fried stuff. I've got some cholesterol problems, and so I'm not supposed to be eating tons of red meat or fried stuff, but it's so hard when we all are making dinner as one to share between all of us to come to some healthful foods. Do I need to just prepare all of my meals by myself (ie, no more "family pitch-in cooking") and schedule a differet time for eating, so that I won't be tempted to eat stuff I know I shouldn't?? Also, I buy really healthy stuff for myself (outside of the family grocery shopping) that I like to have on-hand, but then they get all offended by the fact that it's for me--like I'm some sort of snob and can't share stuff. But the healthy food I buy I buy specifically because I can't/won't/don't/shouldn't eat the chips/cookies/cakes/pies that are in the house currently. How do I let them know that I am doing this for my health without sounding harsh so that they'll accept that I have to have those on hand so I stick to it? Any advice on anything???
It's tough living with your parents. The thing is that you are not going to change their eating habits so your best bet is to eat separate from them when possible. Could you eat breakfast & lunch alone & then keep to smaller portions for supper? Or maybe it's time for "family meeting" & you can explain to them that you understand that they are happy with their currrent diet but that you have this life goal & you are going to achieve it. Perhaps you can offer to do the cooking a couple of nights a week so you can all still eat together but you'll have the choices you want.
Good luck - it will be worth persevering through this.
i think that you need to talk to them. seriously. if you have cholestrol problems you NEED to eat healthy. if they want some of your food then you can just buy that food as a family. if they won't support your needing healthy food, then you ABSOLUTELY need to buy and prepare food yourself.
i would just tell them that you won't be participating in family meals because you need to eat healthier and there haven't been healthy options at dinner BUT you would love to participate if there could be healthy options and that you would be willing to prepare some of those options (if you are willing). are they in or are they out.
also, chances are, if your dad is eating that stuff, then he has high cholestrol. usually, if people have the option of having healthy meals in front of them, they take it. (wouldn't we all just love to have healthy meals delivered to our doors?). you can make that a reality by doing the grocery shopping and preparing the food. if they aren't up for it, you need to do what's best for you and that probably means doing shopping for yourself and preparing food for yourself. if you decide to eat the healthy food with them, and they want it, readdress the subject that you offered and the offer is still on the table (no pun intended) that you will help buy and prepare healthy meals for the family.
i am in a similar situation. i recently became a vegetarian, and my bf is a meat eater. we still have a lot of meat in the freezer, so while i do prepare it for him, i eat something totally different if meat is involved. if not, he is happy that the meal is healthy and that he doesn't have to prepare it himself. it was weird at first having different meals, but we're still having dinner together, just not the same thing.
good luck, and i don't waste another day without communicating your needs.
It's tough living with your parents. The thing is that you are not going to change their eating habits so your best bet is to eat separate from them when possible. Could you eat breakfast & lunch alone & then keep to smaller portions for supper? Or maybe it's time for "family meeting" & you can explain to them that you understand that they are happy with their currrent diet but that you have this life goal & you are going to achieve it. Perhaps you can offer to do the cooking a couple of nights a week so you can all still eat together but you'll have the choices you want.
I think it might be time for a "family meeting." That might be the best way to go about clearing up my issues at home in response to my trying to be healtiher.
Quote:
...If they won't support your needing healthy food, then you ABSOLUTELY need to buy and prepare food yourself.
...
you would love to participate if there could be healthy options and that you would be willing to prepare some of those options (if you are willing). are they in or are they out.
...
wouldn't we all just love to have healthy meals delivered to our doors?...you can make that a reality by doing the grocery shopping and preparing the food.
...
i am in a similar situation. i recently became a vegetarian, and my bf is a meat eater. we still have a lot of meat in the freezer, so while i do prepare it for him, i eat something totally different if meat is involved. if not, he is happy that the meal is healthy and that he doesn't have to prepare it himself. it was weird at first having different meals, but we're still having dinner together, just not the same thing.
good luck, and i don't waste another day without communicating your needs.
I guess my biggest thing is I don't want them to feel like I'm only doing for me, when I'd be more than happy to help do for them, too, does that make sense? Kind of like you're doing with your boyfriend. At the family meeting I'll bring up possibly doing smething like that, or that I'd be willing (which I am) to prepare healthier options for them. What gets me, though, is that both my mother and my father have cholesterol problems, too...but they're on medicine for it...and not really doing any excercise or changing their diet, really.
Last edited by starwatcher; 06-09-2006 at 05:06 PM.
Reason: Better response.
Well here's your wake up call! Get your butt in gear!
---Hopefully this will stick with me too---
Thanks!! I have been! I went to the gym twice each day this weekend! I did talk with my parents though, and the meeting went fairly well...so, nothing's holding me back now! Good luck to you too!
Kick in the Butt...
). I think I need someoene to share encouragement with and to check-in with occassionally.
But the healthy food I buy I buy specifically because I can't/won't/don't/shouldn't eat the chips/cookies/cakes/pies that are in the house currently. How do I let them know that I am doing this for my health without sounding harsh so that they'll accept that I have to have those on hand so I stick to it? Any advice on anything??? 
